In part one I stated that we are to love Jesus Christ in sincerity (Eph. 6:24). The next way we are to love Jesus Christ is supremely. This is beautifully illustrated in 2 Kings 23. During Josiah's reign as king the book of the law was found. When it was read Josiah suddenly realized the serious sin Israel had committed. He then went about purging the land of all its idolatry for the purpose,

That he might perform the words of the law which were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in the house of the LORD.

Josiah was putting God supreme. Making sure He alone was ruler in His life and of the nation of Israel. Josiah wanted to make sure that nothing and no one was above the Creator of heaven and earth. In the same way we are to make sure nothing is above Christ. Christ illustrates this in Matthew 13:44-46. Jesus tells the story of 2 men. Both men found this great treasure. They with joy sold all that they had and bought that treasure. To these 2 men that treasure was the most important thing in the world. Everything else was but dung (Phil. 3:8 ) to them compared to the treasure they had found. Do you feel that way about Christ? Are there things in your life that are more important than Christ like video games, family, friends, career, addiction...ect. If there are then Christ says you aren't worthy to be His disciple (Matt. 10:37-39). Dr. John MacArthur said,

The true gospel of Jesus Christ is not a seeker-friendly invitation. In fact, it comes with a warning: if you come to Christ, it may actually make your family life worse, not better. It may send a rift into your family, the likes of which you have never seen before. If you give your life to Jesus Christ, there will be an impossible gulf between you and people who don't give their lives to Him. And if you're not willing to pay the price of a potentially permanent split in your family...(That will stay that way, until or unless your loved ones come to Christ)...If you're not willing to pay the price of greater trauma, greater conflict, greater suffering in your family...Then you're not worthy to be Jesus disciple.

Those are stinging words by MacArthur but very true. Can that be said of you? Is Christ supreme in your life? Does His word guide your life? Christ tells us to take His yoke upon us. According to DR. John R. W. Stott a yoke was a, wooden horizontal frame laid on the necks of oxen. I think Jesus picture is clear. We wants us to submit to His authority. The apostle Paul in Romans 1 called himself a willing slave of Christ. Paul was no doubt referring back to the Old Testament where a slave, if he so desired, would have his ear pierced so that he could remain with his master the rest of his life. Paul was a willing slave of Christ. Are you? Is Christ supreme in your life? Or is Christ supreme only when you want Him to be?

In Pakistan there lives a woman named Shafia. Shafia grew up in a Christian family and became a Christian at 13-14 years old. She had a brother named Rafi who supported the family because their father died in 1990. Rafi had a reputation for defending the Christian young women in the village who were often, due to their extremely lowstatus in society,taken advantage of by the Muslim men. In 2004 he was murdered by 3 men who befriended him then shot him in the face. Why? He was a Christian. When Shafia and her family tried to get justice they couldn't. They had no money to pay for the criminal's prosecution. A man named Masood stepped in to help or so they thought. After a long deception Masood kidnapped Shafia imprisoning her for 4 months. Every day he tortured and sexually abused her in an attempt to get her to deny Christ and convert to Islam. While Masood attacked her Shafia says,

I was reciting Psalms 23, 120, and 121 in my heart. It was encouraging me that the Lord is really my shepherd, and he was going to release me soon. So I got strength.

Shafia never gave in. Despite the horrors she suffered those 4 long months she never denied her Lord. She held Him supreme above all else even above her life. Could you say that? Do you hold Christ supreme above even your life? The puritan Thomas Watson said,

God will have the whole heart. We must not divide our love between Him and sin. The true mother would not have the child divided, nor will God have the heart divided; it must be the whole heart.

God demands all of you! He deserves it for who He is. Examine yourself to see if there is anything in your life that you have placed above Him. Ask Him to open your eyes to see it. Repent. And follow Him.

I hope this has been a blessing to you. Part 3 will be in 10-14 days.